An Introduction to the Bonpo Dzogchen Teachings of the Oral Tradition of Zhang Zhung known as the Zhang-zhung snyan rgyud..The original Dzogchen teachings are found equally in the old, unreformed Tibetan schools of the Buddhist Nyingmapas and the pre- Buddhist Bonpos. These teachings are substantially the same in both schools in terms of meaning, terminology, and practice, both traditions justly claiming unbroken lineages of transmission coming down to the present day from the 8th century, and even before. Moreover, both schools assert that Dzogchen did not originate in Tibet itself, or even in India, but in Central Asia, variously known as Tazik and Uddiyana. From there it was brought to India and Central Tibet by certain Mahasiddhas, or great adepts, where it represented an Upadesha, or secret oral instruction, concerning an unconditioned state of being and awareness beyond the Tantric process of transformation. This refers to the Natural State of the Nature of Mind, one's own innate Buddha-nature, that is beyond all time, conditioning, and causality. In both traditions, the Nyingmapa and the Bonpo, Dzogchen is regarded as the ultimate teaching of the Buddhas of the three times and it is classified as the ninth or highest vehicle to enlightenment.

In this volume will be found translations from the Tibetan of the Dzogchen teachings originally transmitted by the master Tapihritsa to his disciple Nangzher Lodpo at the Darok Lake in Zhang-zhung, or Northwestern Tibet, which, at that time, was still an independent kingdom. Included here also are translations of the hagiographies of the principal masters of this tradition in ancient times, extending back to the ultimate source of the Dzogchen teachings, the Primordial Buddha, Kuntu Zangpo Himself. The appendices in the book present translations and explanations of the preliminary practices for this tradition of Dzogchen, known as Ngondro, as well as the Guru Yoga practice for Tapihritsa. These explanations proceed according to the oral instructions of Yongdzin Rinpoche, Lopon Tenzin Namdak, the greatest living exponent of the Bonpo tradition of Dzogchen.

The texts of the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud, first written down in the 8th century in the Zhang-zhung language and a century later translated by Ponchen Tsanpo into Tibetan, never became Termas, or hidden treasure texts, but represent a continuous system of oral and written transmission until the present time. Therefore, the Zhang-zhung Nyangyud, "the Oral Tradition from Zhang-zhung," is of singular importance for the understanding of the historical development of Dzogchen in Early Tibet.

John Myrdhin Reynolds (Vajranatha) is a translator of Tibetan, a scholar in the fields of Tibetan Studies, Buddhist Philosophy, and Comparative Religion, who has taught at a number of universities in the West. He was ordained as a Ngagpa Lama in the Nyingmapa tradition by HH Dudjom Rinpoche, and for more than ten years he has worked closely with Lopon Tenzin Namdak on the translation of early Bonpo Dzogchen and Tantra texts. His earlier works, The Golden Letters and Self-Liberation, published by Snow Lion, dealt with the origin of Dzogchen in the Nyingmapa Buddhist tradition coming from India and Central Asia.

Foreword by Lopon Tenzin Namdak

Preface by the Translator

PART ONEThe History and Lineages

Chapter 1: The Bonpo and Nyingmapa Traditions of DzogchenIntroductionThe Historical Development of BonThe Origin of DzogchenThe Three Traditions of Bonpo Dzogchen

Chapter 2: The Primordial Buddha Kuntu ZangpoThe Primordial BuddhaThe Base, the Path, and the FruitThe Iconography of the Primordial BuddhaThe Dialogue in EternityThe Four Peaceful Deities

Chapter 3: The Mind-to-Mind Transmission of the BuddhasThe Nine-Fold Transmission of the SugatasIntroduction to the TranslationsTranslation of " The Small Text of the Nine-Fold Transmission of the Mind"Translations from "The Hagiographies of the Masters of the Lineage"

Chapter 4: The Oral Transmission of the SiddhasThe Transmission Lineages in GeneralThe Interrupted Transmission LineageThe Uninterrupted Transmission LineageThe Lineage of the Twenty-four August PersonsThe Transmission Lineage according to "The Three Revelations" Transmission Lineages from India and from Zhang-zhungTranslations from "The Hagiographies of the Masters of The Lineage"

Chapter 5: The Masters Tapihritsa and GyerpungpaThe Mahasiddha Tradition in Zhang-zhungThe Life of TapihritsaTranslation from "The Hagiographies of the Masters of the Lineage" His Disciple Gyerpung Nangzher LodpoThe Encounters of Gyerpungpa with His MasterTranslation from "The Hagiographies of the Masters of the Lineage"Persecution and the Decline of Bon

Chapter 6: The Prophetic Sayings of the Lord TapihritsaIntroduction to the TranslationsTranslation of "The Prophetic Sayings of Lord Tapihritsa"Translation of "The Intermediate Encounter"Translation of "The Nine Respectful Polite Speeches"

Chapter 7: The Reasons Why the Bon did not DeclineIntroduction to the TranslationTranslation of "The Reasons Why the Bon did not Decline"

Chapter 8: The Experiential Transmission and the Precepts TransmissionThe Revival of Bon and the Terma DiscoveriesThe Six Mahasiddhas from Zhang-zhung MarTranslations from "The Hagiographies of the Masters of the Lineage"The Experiential TransmissionThe Five Masters of the System of Lower Zhang-zhungThe Transmission of the PerceptsThe Six Masters of the System of Upper Zhang-zhung

Chapter 9: The Later History of the TransmissionThe Northern Lineage and the Southern LineageYangton Chenpo Sherab GyaltsanThe Nine Masters of the Northern Lineage of TransmissionThe Eleven Masters of the Southern Lineage of Transmission

PART TWOThe Literature of the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyud Cycle

Chapter 10: The Texts in the Menri Edition of the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyudThe Four Cycles of PreceptsThe Collections of the Experiential TransmissionsThe Contents of the Menri Edition

Chapter 11: The Practice Manual for the Zhang-zhung Nyan-gyudThe Life and Works of Druchen Gyalwa YungdrungThe Contents of the Practice Manual

APPENDIX ONE: The Guru Yoga for TapihritsaIntroductionHow to Practice the Guru YogaThe Invocation to TapihritsaTranslation of the Invocation to TapihritsaCommentary to the Translation of the InvocationGuru Yoga and the Practice of Contemplation

APPENDIX TWO: The Preliminary PracticesIntroductionTranslation of the Preliminary Practices TextCommentary to the Translation of the Preliminary PracticesTranslation of the "Exposition of the Words" Text

APPENDIX THREE: The Invocations to the Guardian DeityNyipangse and to the Goddess MenmoIntroductionTranslations of the Texts

actually i have not read this yet, but i think this something the best so far that have been translated to english with some other high texts as Heartdrops of Dharmakaya, The wonders of Natural Mind, The sovereign all-creating mind with Longchenpas works etc etc. I trust this to be good so I bought a copy to a friend too, sorry to write review before hand but i could not stop my self.